Sharpening the axe and laying the foundation

The last few months have been challenging to me, in terms of fighting frustration. My computer work has been like trying to run with lead weights on my feet. In a swamp.

Things are looking up, though. A new computer has arrived, and I’m looking forward to setting it up and using it. I’ve also got a work-around to keep my old notebook computer running a bit longer, and it is almost at the point where I can spend more time using it for productive work than just setting it up. Actually, setting up a computer is not exactly unproductive. It is like sharpening an axe. In all of the Bible translation software development work I do, I use a computer set up with many different software packages: about 60 different installations. Unfortunately, most of those have to be done one at a time, at least under Microsoft Windows. Some have online updates and activations that have to be done. All this take time, and lots of it. Sure, I could do a disk image back up and restore… if restoring to an identical hardware configuration, and if I had an image that worked properly in all respects. 🙂 On the bright side, I’m getting pretty good at reinstalling everything. 🙂